Improvement in boot-stretchers



PATENT FFICE.

JAMES HOFFMAN, OF BELVIDERE, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOT-STRETCHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,777, dated August8, 1871.

To all whom it may concer/n:

Bc it known that I, J Aims HOFFMAN, of Belvidere, in the county offairen and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Boot-Stretcher; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section ofmy improved boot-stretclier, arranged for stretching the extremetoe of aboot. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, arranged for stretching theboot across the toe. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same, arranged forstretching the instep of the boot. Fig. 4 is a top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention consists in improving bootstretchers, as hereinafterdescribed and pointed out in the claim.

A represents an iron plate or sole, made somewhat in the form of aboot-sole, so that it may rest firmly upon the sole of the boot to bestretched. The middle part of the sole A, that sustains the greateststrain, is stiffened or strengthened by being made thicker, or by havingan eXtra plate or bar attached to it. To the heel of the sole A isattached a hollow block, B, open upon its forward side, and having ascrewhole, b', formed in the rear part of its top to receive theoperating-screw. To the rear part of the sole A, in front of the hollowblock B, are attached two vertical supports or plates, C, at such adistance apart as to receive the operating-levers between them. In thesupports O are formed three holes, c1 c2 o3, to receive the 4pin or boltby which the operating-levers are pivoted to said supports. D is a metalcap, which is so formed, as shown in Fig. l, that it may be pushedforward into the extreme toe of the boot. The cap D is pivoted to theforward end of the lever E by means of lugs formed upon or attached tothe under side of the said cap. The lever E is pivoted to and betweenthe supports C by a pin, F, which passes through the forward hole 0 insaid supports, and is made of such a length that its rear end may extendback into the cavity of the hollow block B, so that it may be operatedupon by the screw G, which passes in through the screw-hole b in the topof said hollow block B. The screw Gis made of such a length that it maybe conveniently operated through the boot-leg, and has a cross-head oroth er hand-piece attached to its upper end for convenience in operatingit. H is a metal cap, which is so formed as to fit into the forward partof the boot about upon a line with the first joint of the big toe. Thecap His pivoted, by means of lugs formed upon or attached to its underside, to the end of the lever I, which is made of such a length that itsrear end may extend back into the cavity of the block B, so as to beoperated by the screw G. rIhe lever I is pivoted to the supports C bythe pin or bolt F, which is passed through the hole c2 in said supports,and through a hole in the said lever I. J is a metal cap, which isformed so as to fit into the instep of the boot, and is pivoted to theend of the lever K. The cap J may be made upon a simple curve, as shownin Figs. 3 and 4, or it may be made in the form of the instep of a last,as may be desired. The lever K is made of such a length that its rearend may extend back into the cavity of the block B, so as to be operatedupon by the screw G, and is pivoted to and between the supports C by thepin F, which passes through a hole in the said lever and through therear hole c3 in the said supports. By this construction, the lengths ofthe levers and their pivoting-points are arranged according to the partof the boot that requires stretching, so that the screw G may alwayshave a sufficient leverage to stretch the required part to any desiredextent.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- As an article of manufacture, the boot-stretcher,constructed as described, when composed of caps D, H, and J, and leversE, I, and K, all applied as and for the purpose specified.

I/Vtnesses: JAMES HOFFMAN.

WILLIAM LEEsE,

J. F. HANK.

